CellSight, Boehringer form Alliance for Anti-tumor T-Cell Activation Technology

CellSight Technologies, a US-based PET (Positron Imaging Tomography) imaging company, is collaborating with Boehringer Ingelheim to evaluate CellSight’s PET imaging tracer, VisAcT. The goal of the alliance is future use of VisAcT in the development and monitoring of immune-oncological therapies.

A clinical trial to evaluate immunological response to PD-1 checkpoint inhibition in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is currently ongoing.  The focus of the trial is to determine if early PET scans, at 6-12 weeks after the initial anti-PD1 inhibitor therapy dose, with the VisAcT™ tracer are predictive of response to immunotherapy.  

“CellSight is extremely pleased to be working with Boehringer Ingelheim, after connecting through the National Cancer Institute Small Business Innovations Research program,” said Aruna Gambhir, chief executive officer of CellSight. “We believe that our PET imaging tracer, which is specific for activated T cells can help increase the success rate for immunotherapies by predicting response early in the treatment regimen thus allowing clinicians and patients to make more informed decisions.”